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State-ranked Lakeview has visions of repeating as district champs in baseball

bill broderick, battle creek enquirer
·4 min read
Lakeview's Jake Kucharczyk backs away from a high pitch during action against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.
Lakeview's Jake Kucharczyk backs away from a high pitch during action against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.

If polls mean anything, Lakeview will have a good chance at repeating as district champs in baseball.

Last spring, the Spartans won their first district title since 2014. Ranked No. 8 in the most recent Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, Lakeview is a favorite to win another trophy in 2022 as the state tournament begins on Tuesday.

Lakeview is the lone ranked team in its Division 1 district at Coldwater and will see Jackson in the semifinals on June 4. Battle Creek Central is also in that district and will see Sturgis in the first round on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to play Coldwater.

Prior to getting swept by Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday, Lakeview had won nine of its past 10 games, including taking home an All-City title.

Lakeview pitcher Jackson Haywood throws home during a game against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.
Lakeview pitcher Jackson Haywood throws home during a game against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.

Division 2  

One of the teams missing from the district tourney above is Gull Lake, a longtime foe of Lakeview's in the Division 1 postseason. However, the Blue Devils have moved down to Division 2 this season and will host a district that includes Harper Creek, Pennfield, Marshall and Olivet.

Olivet is the highest ranked team in that group, sitting in the top 20 in the state. The Eagles will face Harper Creek in the opening game on Tuesday, with the winner seeing host Gull Lake on June 4. Defending district champ Marshall will play Pennfield in the other half of the bracket.

Lakeview's Bryce Plane takes a cut in action against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.
Lakeview's Bryce Plane takes a cut in action against Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday.

Division 3

Another local power making a move is the Climax-Scotts/St. Philip co-op team. That squad, when it was just Climax-Scotts, has won its share of district titles in past years in Division 4. With the co-op status, the program has a boost in enrollment and has been moved up to Division 3, where the Panthers will play in a district at Centreville.

C-S/St. Philip will be waiting in the district semifinals where it will get the winner of Galesburg-Augusta vs. Centreville. Schoolcraft and Comstock are in the other half of the bracket.

Also in Division 3, state-ranked Homer will be in a four-team district at Bronson. No. 15 Homer will play Quincy in one semifinal on June 4 and Union City will face Bronson.

Division 4

Athens will host a four-team Division 4 district and will face Litchfield in the semifinal, with Tekonsha playing Bellevue in the other semifinal.

Colon is also hosting a four-team district and will see White Pigeon in its first game. State-ranked Mendon is in the grouping as well and will play Burr Oak.

Softball

Division 1

With an experienced team and an All-City crown already in it back pocket, Lakeview has high hopes for the postseason in softball and will travel to Coldwater for the districts.

The Spartans get a bye and will play the winner of Coldwater-Portage Central in the semifinals on June 4. Battle Creek Central is also in the district and will see Sturgis in the other half of the bracket.

Division 2

In most situations, schools are in the same district for softball and baseball. However, due to an oddity in the lineup, Harper Creek and Gull Lake will be in a softball district hosted by Pennfield while the baseball programs for those schools are over in Gull Lake.

Host Pennfield will see Three Rivers in the opener on Tuesday with the winner facing Gull Lake. Harper Creek, which lost to Coldwater in the district final a year ago, gets Vicksburg in the other half of the bracket.

Marshall, which normally would be with the group above, gets moved to a district at No. 1-ranked Jackson Northwest. The Redhawks will open with Eaton Rapids and wouldn't see top-ranked Jackson Northwest until the finals.

Division 3

The Climax-Scotts/St. Philip co-op moves up to Division 3 this season and will be in Parchment with an opening game on Tuesday against Kalamazoo Hackett. The winner will see Comstock in the semifinals, with Galesburg-Augusta facing Parchment in the other half of the bracket.

In a district at Centreville, Union City and Homer will meet in the first round with the winner facing Quincy. Host Centreville will play Bronson in the other side.

Division 4

Host Athens gets a bye in this district and will face the winner of Bellevue-Tekonsha. Burr Oak and Colon will meet in the other semifinal.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: State-ranked Lakeview has visions of repeating as district champs